Marc Helgesen - Invited Speaker @ KOTESOL 2022
Invited Session
The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology) in Your Classes and Your Life
Positive psychology – some people call it “The Science of Happiness” – is the study of positive emotion – the things that make life worth living. This workshop will explore ways we can use positive psychology activities in our English classes. There are many reasons to do this, not the least of which is this: happy students work harder and learn more. We’ll explore some basic positive psychology activities and principles, things we can use in our teaching and in our own lives. These ideas let us teach English in ways that are far deeper, more meaningful and memorable than the typical textbook fare. We will look at ways to “savor” the good things in our lives. We’ll also look at Time Confetti – the idea that our free time too often seems to be broken into tiny bits, each too short to get anything worthwhile done. But if we are aware of the idea, we can be ready to make good use of the time. All activities will be based on positive psychology research. Online handouts, resources, and research links will be provided so you can use the ideas in your classes…and in your life.
Time: Sunday (May 1) 2:00 p.m. KST (50 min., Synchronous)
Biosketch
Marc Helgesen, professor emeritus (but still actively teaching) at Miyagi Gakuin Women’s University in Sendai, Japan, has written over 200 professional articles, books, and textbooks, including English Teaching and the Science of Happiness (ABAX) and the English Firsthand series (Pearson). His research interests include positive psychology in ELT, mind/brain/education in ELT, and extensive reading. He’s been an invited speaker at conferences on five continents. Email: marchelgesen(at)gmail.com.
Select Sites
Helgesen's ELT and Happiness Website
Helgesen Handouts Website
Helgesen's BzReading Website
Recent Book
English Teaching and the Science of Happiness: Positive Psychology Communication Activities for Language Learning (Abax ELT Publishing, 2021)
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